Construction of bells



July 18, 1933. s. B. MERRILL CONSTRUCTION OF BELLS Filed March 15, 1951 [\VENTOR. By

A TT ORNE Y.

ness'es'transversely to the fundamental curve of the bell in such a way-thatthefunda 'duce these weights to terms of thicknessilif thickness hasnot'been the basis of my calculation, and I proceed to lay off these thickmental curve bisects lines. representing the I' said thicknesses; Thisjgives memy metat' lic masses distributed in such a way that half of theirweight at any given point lies on either side of the fundamental icurve. procedure would alsoobvio usly give me'two new curves, one on either side of the fundamentale The configuration of tliese new curves will not be thesame, nor will the configuration of either be the same as that of the fundamental" Butboth curves will bear av certainrelationship to the fundamental as. v determined by the mass of metal at any given. point alonghthe fundamental] One1of the curves Will represent the contour of (the in, side of the bell and the otherwill represent r the contour of the outside of the bell.

a; bell; in: which: the top, the tube and the .flare are broadly indicated respectivelyflby the. numerals .1 ,,2,iand 3i Ihav'e shownindotted lines,a fundamental-curve 4L Which'has been Thus in. Figure I, I have shown in section,

(produced as theresult of a determination of the "various tonal characteristics desired'in;

the bell. The masses. ofmetalfinithebell' at 7 any given. point along the fundamental curve 4;, havealso; been. determined by calculationor 'otherwi'sefor the desired characteristics The" inner. contourof the bell is represented by at line ,5 and: the outer: con

I tour bya line 16. These lines are curves bearing theaforesaid rclationshipjto the funda mental jcurve iand ifany point, such as thepoint 7 betakenflalonggthis fundamental curve, it will; be foundfthat the distance 8 from the point/7; toithecin'teriorcurve 5 of the bell, and the distance Q fr mMpoint 7 to 3 the exterior curve .6 of the bell, will be equal,-

or as nearly equal as is consistent with the actual manufacturing,conditions.

VVhatis true of the point/Twill The practice of my; invention, as plainly understoodfifrom the draw n results. "in a shape of the bell which' v will ordinarily ap-- pear tothe eyed-i'fferent from the shape of bells heretofore constructed upon the {same fundamental curve. If J the fundamental curve .4 ofthe bell in my drawing, were "used to produce -.a shell by the old methochthe curve 4 would "mark the interior V contour of the bell, and if thelsameimasses of metal from v the several parts were employed,the external diameter of the tube c would be, somewhat This s It-will be understood that-I am} notsliimited to any particular curveas the fundamental for my'bell, nor to any particular proportion of the. parts or weightonmetalaat anyxpoint: 75 along the-fundamental,curve. And further th atin proceeding upon the basis of any given fundamentalcurve Imay increase or decrease the amount of metal in any particular portion of the bell,'or"inall parts thereof Withoutdeparting from thespirit of myinvention, providing the weight of metal employed i's..di s-. tributed with; reference to the fundamentalj curve in accordancewith'vmyainventioni V I have found that-the employmentof my 85 inventionin the construction of bellsl vresultsi in the productionof a bell havinga truer and morebeautifulftone, comprisinga more .fperv Y fe'ct fundamental. and noreldesirablecoven f tones. As, compared with bells constructed by-the old method to, produce thesame note,- whether the old bells beoffthe same dimenr. sions and weight of metal orunot, my bell isoutstanding, and'presents'a more pleasing; soundto the ear., Particularly in View ofjits 9 truer and more pronounced'fundamental'and more desirable overtones, my new \bell (is also 1 especially adapted, to the productionst am rillons I,

Such surface ornamentationmay be placed- 1 upon my bell, of course,as-,will not interfere with, the tone qua lity -thereof',and in; IIIOStlIh-Qj stances itis not necessary'to take the amount of the metal contained in the said ornamental-g tion'into accountin determining the general 0 contour of the bell; a .v v

Havingthus described my' invention.,, what I claimas new anddesireto secure by Letters Patent,is':+-

j V I e 1. A'process ofproducinga bell 'which' 50m: 11

prises determining the size and relationship} of the several parts of 'a bell and producing;

a fundamentalcurve, determiningthe weights metal in.'the severalparts of the bell,]af1ld so prop'ortioning-these'wei-ghts inthe finished 11 b'ell',-tliat the masses of metal will be'bis'ecjted bysaid fundamental curve atall points.

2. Aprocessof producinga-bellwhich comr;

prises determining the desired 'siz'eand frelal; v t'ionship of thesever-al parts thereoffand es-j 1:0 f

tabli'shing a fundamental curv and g portioning the masses'of metal in the severaL I 7 parts of said bell :thatsaid curveiif produced inany section: of said hell, would, be,equi-;dis,-.-

tent at all points from. the touter andQ-inner. 3 surfaces of saidbellQ, I 7 T 5 3. The method of producing anbell which, comprises determining,- the size and'relatione, ship ofthe several parts thereof to produce a desired tone andlaying-jout a fundamental a curve, determining the masses of metal'in theseveral parts thereof, and laying out said masses of vmetal in terms of the thickness thereof'at any given pointupon said fundamental curve, so that said curve Willbisectcomprises determining the size and relationship of the several parts thereofto produce a desired tone and laying out a fundamental curve, determining the masses of metal in the several parts thereof, and laying out said masses of metal in terms of the thickness thereof at any given point uponjsaid fundamental curve, so that said curve Wlll bisect at all points lines representing the thickness of said metal masses. at each point, whereby two new'curves are established, one lying on either side of said fundamental curve, and constructing a bell so that said last mentioned curves represent the inner and outer configurations thereof, producing "a sweep from each of said last mentioned curvesand using said swee s to form respectively; the

cope and drag o a bell' mould.

5. As anew article of-manufacture, abell;

the tone of which is determined in part at least a smooth fundamental line of ,lcon- .tinuous curvature, and a disposition of the masses of metal in the several parts-of said be-l1; such that said line is at all point q iand outer walls of distant from the inner said bell.

6. Asa new article of manufacture, a -belli i the tone of Which is" determined in part'at Q i i least by a smooth fundamental line of continuous curvature, and a dispositionoof the masses of metal in the several parts of said bell; such that equal Weights of metal at all i I points lie on opposite'sides of said line.

7 i As a new-article of manufacture, a bell, having a smooth continuous fundamental Calculated i p ce a desired wne, i

the metal masses of said bell being so disposed at all points that said fundamental curve if produced in said bell, would bisect said masses as toweight and thickness.

SIDNEY B. ME LL. 

